Friday 28 March 2014

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Home

I don't know why good  new songs most of the times remind me of old songs. This one has that wonderful Woodstock atmosphere.




 Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma & Pa
Not the way that I do love you

Holy Moley, Me-oh-My, you're the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you

Man, oh man, you're my best friend,
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothin' that I need

Well, hot & heavy, pumpkin pie,
chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
There ain't nothin' please me more than you

Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I'm with you (2x)

La la la la, take me Home
Baby, I'm coming Home

I'll follow you into the park,
through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I've never loved one like you

Moats & boats & waterfalls,
alley ways & pay phone calls
I've been everywhere with you

That's true

We laugh until we think we'll die,
barefoot on a summer night
Nothin' new is sweeter than with you

And in the streets we're running
free like i's only you and mee
Geez, you're somethin' to see.

Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I'm with you (2x)

La la la la, take me HomeBaby, I'm coming Home

“Jade?”
“Alexander?”
“Do you remember that day you fell out of my window?”
“I sure do, you came jumping out after me.”
“Well, you fell on the concrete
and nearly broke your ass
and you were bleeding all over the place
and I rushed you off to the hospital.
Do you remember that?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, there's something
I never told you about that night.”
“What didn't you tell me?”
“While you were sitting in the backseat
smoking a cigarette you thought
was going to be your last,
I was falling deep, deeply in love with you
and I never told you 'til just now.”
“Now I know.”

Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is whenever I'm with you
Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is when I'm alone with you

Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I'm with you

Ahh, Home
Yes, I am Home
Home is when I'm alone with you.

Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma & Pa
Moats & boats & waterfalls & pay phone calls

Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is when I'm alone with you

Thursday 27 March 2014

Divergent Film: Author's Comments.

We all know that a film is hardly ever better than a book. Let's watch  what the author Veronica Roth has to say about the film Divergent based on her novel.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Alienated by Melissa Landers: Short Review

Alienated (Alienated, #1)
This is indeed a different book. The truth is that I didn't like the characters at all at the begining, none of them, actually. They were far too rude for me, almost unpleasant.

 However, somehow I continued reading and they really grew on me. The story is a very original combination of humour, drama, romance and science fiction that makes sense.

 It also has some deep thoughts about how nice and not-so-nice humans are and the way we behave when push  comes to shove.

The aliens have the ability to make humans feel what they are feeling and there is a beautiful description of how one of the characters feels LOVE

" She wasn't prepared for what came next. A split-second rush of chest-swelling 
desire inflated her lungs, lifting her rib cage until her body felt melded with his.

Sensations of devotion and tenderness flashed through her in an instant, forcing her to exhale or burst.
Every inch of her skin flashed hot and prickled into gooseflesh while her heart fluttered like humming bird wings.
Her limbs lightened , and she grasped two handfuls of his shirt to stay grounded.
 It was both terrifying and glorious in its intensity. 

It was love"



The ending is as happy as it can be so all in all if you are a  YA fan of romance and sci-fi you may well like it.

Friday 21 March 2014


How to Pronounce Stiefvater Correctly

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favourite authors and she has had the bright idea of showing all her fans how to pronounce her surname with a fun video.


Monday 17 March 2014

Jungle Drum

 I love this song by Emiliana Torrini, half Italian half Icelandic , which makes her music truly unique.




 Hey, I'm in love,
My fingers keep on clicking to the beating of my heart.
Hey, I can't stop my feet,
Ebony and ivory and dancing in the street.
Hey, it's because of you,
The world is in a crazy, hazy hue.

My heart is beating like a jungle drum

Man, you got me burning,
I'm the moment between the striking and the fire.
Hey, read my lips,
Cause all they say is kiss, kiss, kiss.
No, it'll never stop,
My hands are in the air, yes I'm in love.

My heart is beating like a jungle drum

My heart is beating like a jungle drum

Sunday 16 March 2014

Zeppole di San Giuseppe: Father's Day Recipe

Delicious recipe from Naples to cook on Father's Day that is Saint Joseph's day or in Italian San Giuseppe.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Herbal Garden in Asia: Jari Lipan


                                                                      Description

Thursday 13 March 2014

Mesa Reservada por Vis Molina: OpiniĆ³n

Mesa Reservada  La autora Vis Molina es periodista free lance especializada en estilo de vida y cultura . AdemĆ”s ha trabajado para la revista Telva haciendo diversos reportajes  y entrevistas sobre viajes, tendencias y gastronomĆ­a. Esta trayectoria profesional ha sido, sin duda, esecial para escribir Mesa Reservada , una novela de ficciĆ³n gastronĆ³mica ambientada en un lujoso y exclusivo restaurante de tres estrellas MichelĆ­n en Barcelona .El libro fuĆ© presentado por el conocidĆ­simo Ferran AdriĆ  que conoce a la autora desde hace aƱos y cuyas anĆ©cdotas han contribuido a la novela.

InĆ©s Serra  es una joven sommelier  que trabaja en el Apium , restaurante de prestigio que puede recordar en algunos aspectos  al ABaC de la capital condal.La novela relata los entresijos del dĆ­a a dĆ­a en el restaurante y nos descubre a los demĆ”s miembros del personal ,su personalidad y su papel en el funcionamiento del local .Un chef seductor y carĆ­smĆ”tico de humilde procedencia ,un maestro repostero reservado e innovador,un experimentado maĆ®tre y un descendiente de Campari al frente de la cocktelerĆ­a.

La trama se complica con unos misteriosos clientes , un sobre olvidado y se intercalan capĆ­tulos sobre las vivencias de los diferentes personajes con las cenas y comidas en el Apium. Esta Ćŗltima parte me pareciĆ³ la mĆ”s entretenida, sobre todo la visita de unos chefs japoneses al local.

El libro tiene tambiƩn algunos toques de chick-lit con detalladas descripciones sobre la ropa y el maquillaje de los personajes femeninos y sobre la elegancia de los masculinos .

La autora asegura en el prĆ³logo que el libro es "pura ficciĆ³n" aunque para algunos fragmentos se haya inspirado en hechos reales . Vis Molina visitĆ³   El Celler de Can Roca y conversĆ³  con algunos grandes cocineros como el ya mencionado Ferran AdriĆ   ,enĆ³logos como Pitu Roca y maestros reposteros. Esto hace que desde el punto de vista gastronĆ³mico la novela sea muy interesante y abra el apetito .

Si quieres saber como funciona un restaurante de gran nivel este libro te resultarĆ” muy entretenido y revelador. Como guinda de este pastel literario al final de la novel la autora regala al lector una serie de recetas muy bien explicadas . Mi favorita es la Tarta TatĆ­n de manzana reineta.

M.


Tuesday 11 March 2014

Free to Fall by Lauren Miller : Book Trailer

I  I just hope that it is as good as it seems and there is already something that prevents you from having to think if you don't want to and that makes decisions for you and tells you what you like and dislike, what to buy , how to dress, how to be.

It is called TV.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Six things that bother me about Women's Day

Now that Women's Day is finally over, I can speak my mind and write what makes me dislike it:

1- It is not EVERY  DAY of the year.


2- It is not every single day of the year and it is not called PEOPLE'S DAY.

3- We always hear or read stories about the bad things that are happening to some women around the world with photographs of suffering females . We hardly see pictures of WHO caused that suffering. Women are labelled as victims and we see no perpetrators.

4- We always hear or read stories of women who have broken the glass ceiling and have become powerful LIKE MEN, ruthless politicians and unfairly rich entrepreneurs .

5-  On the news we see that some men may , just may, make an effort that day and do some household chores  or finally accept their responsibility as fathers and we may even see pictures of them or comments about it, just like they had ACCOMPLISHED A FEAT.  We see no pictures of men who do it on a daily basis and women who don't.

6- Women's suffering is very often believed to be because of  MEN hurting WOMEN and that is not always the case, sometimes unbelievably and unfortunately it  is also WOMEN hurting other WOMEN.

Friday 7 March 2014

Dragon Fruit



This tropical fruit ,also known as Pithaya ,has a mild flavour  which resembles melons or kiwis.

Sunday 2 March 2014

Ng Fook Thong Temple in Penang's Heritage Trail in Malaysia

A nice clan temple built in 1988 which belongs to the Cantonese Districts Association.I came across it by chance while walking in Georgetown, in fact ,given the number of beautiful temples wherever you look you are bound to find one or your you hadn't planned on visiting.

By TA



Oscar Awards 2014 : Gravity

This year my favourite film without a shadow of a doubt is Gravity in which Sandra Bullock plays the part of an incredibly strong and at the same time feminine woman.It is by far one of her  best, if not her best performance ever  , although I must admit that I really liked her as a comedy actress as well.


Saturday 1 March 2014

Requiem by Lauren Oliver : Review

Requiem (Delirium, #3) I love the fact that the story is told both from Lena's and Hana's point of view, it makes it much better , otherwise it would be too much about the Wilds or too much about the city. Both atmospheres are oppressive in more than one way and it is a relief to switch between them, it is less suffocating for the reader.

There is an evolution in the personality of the main characters as well. Hana, Lena, Julian and Alex are growing , changing and adapting to their new circumstances.

It pains me ,though , to see  how much the relationship between Lena and Alex has changed at the beginning of the book.As much as I like Lena I think it is her fault, but I reckon she had no other choice if she wanted to survive.However, I still don't like the feeling that she is using Julian somehow.The heart wants what the heart wants and no matter what how much you try you can't change your feelings, you may be able to change your behaviour but in the end the truth is always revealed .

On the other hand, after reading the novella Hana I was quite disappointed in her. Hana's betrayal was something that changed the course of Lena's life. In Requiem , at the beginning of the book, I had more positive feelings about her, mainly because she was acknowledging what she did  out of jealousy  and because  Fred , her fiance is a punishment nobody deserves.Besides in spite of having gone through the procedure the old Hana (Lena's  friend) is still there .

 Lauren Oliver makes you reflect on the nature of human beings .If the purpose of the cure is a better society  sometimes you may think of it as a lesser evil given the way some people in the Wilds live and struggle to survive, however, dwellers of  the city are not much better, they may not suffer because of love but they still have negative feelings and they certainly retain the ability to hurt one another shamelessly.

So, what is the real aim of the procedure? I am afraid it is just a way  to exert control over people.Are human beings unable to live peacefully without being controlled and ruled by a government? I am afraid (again) that some of them are , some of them are not and most of them are not willing to intervene to make things better.Good people can do bad things (or nothing which may be worse sometimes)and bad people (once in a blue moon) can do good things.

This is a very deep philosophical discussion and the fact that a YA dystopian novel makes you think about it proves what a skillful writer Lauren Oliver is. I don't like some of the things that happen in the book and I certainly despise many of the characters but the author has given me food for thought.